BOSTON — In the immediate aftermath of his February hit on Raymond Sawada and the subsequent four-game suspension he received for it, Daniel Paille was defiant about the hit not being a violation of Rule 48.

Over time, Paille has come to understand he could’ve done something different to avoid contact with the Dallas forward’s head.

Maybe down the road, Vancouver’s Aaron Rome will admit the error of his ways when it comes to his hit in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final that knocked Nathan Horton out of the series and in turn earned Rome a four-game suspension.

But for now, Rome is sticking to the notion that his hit was clean and he’s the unfortunate victim of a suspension. After taking the morning skate to prepare for tonight’s Game 6 of the Cup Final, Paille said he hopes that in the long run the suspensions for Rome and other players have an effect on the way the game’s played.

“After looking at it, I think [Rome] can avoid that type of situation. If [Horton] had the puck, I think it’s obviously a whole different story. But with the puck not there, I think that maybe he can lay off a bit,” he said.

“You can’t change if you feel no guilt. So I think for me in my situation, I realized I could change something a little bit. But some people are different. That’s what he decided to do. And if he wants to do that again, that’s fine. But he obviously has to realize that he’s probably going to face a possible suspension again.”

How many little punches does Marchand get to throw at Sedin in Boston? Lots, but THAT is hockey? Who is a whiner? What Rome did was a split second mistake, and an honest hockey mistake by an honest hockey player.

“Guaranteed – Canucks fans have no comment on this article… Hypocrites… Whiners… Crybabies”
I love it, we constantly get called whiners when you guys are constantly using that as an excuse for whatever the reason is…have no other arguement?

TCL, its not just a matter of preventing marginal players from targeting top players. Eliminating a roster spot causes the remaining players to work harder, and puts the burden on the team instead of the individual. The suspended player also has to answer to his teammates. He isnt just costing himself anymore, he is letting his team down as well. I think that is something the players value and would not want to jeopordize.

I kind of like the notion of losing the roster spot for these kinds of hits. It would certainly discourage marginal players from targeting the top players.

I think the league is still trying to work out how to keep head shots to a minimum but keep hitting in the game. I think it is going to take a while to figure out the right tack to take. I do think consequences for head shots need to be applied consistently and applied whether the guy is an AHL scrub or a top tier scorer.

I also think the player’s union needs to get involved. I also think the players are going to have to make the decision to police their own behavior-even if it sometimes means not making the hit.

People keep talking about how the players refuse to acknowledge that these hits have no place in hockey. Many people believe that extending the punishment of a player in violation of Rule 48 if/when an injury occurs, as in the offendor sits out as many games as the injured player. This may be valid, however, I think the NHL should look to its counterparts in the MLB and NBA. In these leagues, the team of a player suspended loses the roster spot, and the team plays with 24 or 11 men for the MLB and NBA, respectively. I think the NHL should examine this format of punishment, placing the onis on the team not just the player for violating Rule 48. A player (maybe 5th/6th defenseman…Rome) may be willing to sacrifice a suspension for himself in exchange for another opponent, but the team will also have to suffer the consequences of being a man down on their lineup for the duration of the suspension rather than calling up a minor leaguer.

Danny’s hit was borderline and he still feels bad and manned up. He learned something from it and became a better person and player. Wow. Isn’t that what discipline is for? It can actually work with rational people.